For smooth flight boarding, India's first facial recognition biometric technology will be installed at these four airports

Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh stated on Thursday that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) was working on the country's first facial recognition technology-based biometric boarding system for travellers at Varanasi, Pune, Kolkata, and Vijayawada airports. In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, he remarked, "This biometric boarding system is part of the first phase of the Digi Yatra scheme's implementation."

The Digi Yatra programme aims to make air travel more paperless and hassle-free. According to the government, it is a biometrics-based computerised processing system for passenger entrance and related needs at airports.

The AAI has hired NEC Corporation Private Limited to install this technology, which is the country's first of its kind, at the four airports, according to the minister, who added that the vendor was chosen through an open tender procedure.

He stated that the projected Digi Yatra central eco-system would go live in March 2022. According to him, Digi Yatra would be phased in for acceptance at several airports across the country.